In the proposed 3rd generation (3G) wireless protocols, time division duplex (TDD) and time division multiple access (TDMA) methods divide an allocated radio spectrum into repetitive time periods known as radio frames which are uniquely identified by a sequential cell frame number (FN). Each radio frame is further subdivided into a plurality of unique, numbered time slots (TS) which are individually assigned for uplink (UL) or downlink (DL) transmission.
Radio transmissions incur a propagation delay relative to the distance from a transmitter to a receiver. In mobile cellular communication systems, these delays vary over time as the distance between a mobile terminal (MT) and a base station (BS) changes. In order to receive communication transmissions without error, the time of reception must be known to the receiver.
To compensate for varying propagation delays and to maintain a known time of reception, the time of transmission is periodically adjusted. The transmission timing adjustment is performed in the MT rather than the BS since many MT's are supported by a common BS and the propagation delay for each MT is different depending upon distance. The BS downlink radio frame transmissions do not vary over time and are used by an MT to synchronize uplink radio frame transmissions.
The MT synchronizes to a BS downlink transmission that has incurred a propagation delay. The MT uplink transmission also incurs a propagation delay approximately equal to the downlink propagation delay. The uplink transmission received in the BS is the sum of the downlink and uplink propagation delays. Radio frame reception (DL) and reply transmission (UL) at a MT before any timing adjustment is performed is shown in FIG. 1a. FIG. 1a illustrates a BS transmitted DL time slot (TS) received by the MT immediately followed by a MT transmitted UL time slot (TS). Radio frame transmission (DL) and reception (UL) at a base station before any timing adjustment is performed is shown in FIG. 1b. FIG. 1b illustrates one MT transmitted UL time slot immediately followed by a BS transmitted DL time slot.
As reflected in FIG. 1a, the MT synchronizes on the downlink time slot reception at a time T1 and initiates its uplink transmission immediately thereafter. As shown in FIG. 1b, the start of the downlink time slot (TS) transmission by the BS occurs at time T2 and the end of a preceding uplink time slot (TS) received by the BS occurs at time T3. The difference between times T3 and T2 is referred to as timing deviation (TD) and is equal to the sum of the uplink and downlink propagation delays.
The TD can be identified and used to command the MT to adjust the uplink time slot transmission time in order to synchronize uplink transmission with downlink reception at the BS. Since the MT is synchronized to a received downlink time slot that has already incurred a downlink propagation delay, the MT must advance transmission of uplink time slots by the TD sum of uplink and downlink propagation delays. This is referred to as timing advance (TA) defined as:T3−T2=TD=UL propagation delay+DL propagation delay=TA  Equation 1
Radio frame reception (DL) and reply transmission at an MT after the TA adjustment is shown in FIG. 2a. FIG. 2a shows a BS transmitted DL time slot followed by a time advanced MT transmitted UL time slot at the MT. Radio frame transmission (DL) and reception (UL) at the base station after TA adjustment of the transmission is shown in FIG. 2b. FIG. 2b shows one BS transmitted DL time slot immediately followed by a time advanced MT transmitted UL time slot as received at the BS.
The MT has advanced the UL time slot transmission according to the TA command from time T5 to time T4. Since the received time slot at time T5 has already incurred the DL propagation delay, the new MT time slot transmission time T4 synchronizes the reception time T6 of the BS received UL time slot advanced by the expected UL propagation delay.T4=T5−TA (sum of UL and DL propagation delays)  Equation 2T5=T6 (BS next time slot) +DL propagation delay  Equation 3T4=T6 (BS next time slot) −UL propagation delay  Equation 4
Accordingly, the TA adjustment of the MT transmissions results in synchronization of UL and DL time slots at the BS.
A BS controller is responsible for instructing the MT to adjust the uplink transmission according to the calculated TA. MT commands for TA adjustment generated by the BS controller may require considerable physical resources, it is important for the BS controller to generate TA adjustment commands as infrequently as possible to minimize signaling overhead.
This is facilitated by using small guard period (GP) with respect to the time slot duration, within each radio frame between transmitted data of each time slot. A conventional time slot structure is shown in FIG. 3. The GP avoids simultaneous transmission and reception in either the BS or MT. A “physical reception window” of operation, which is substantially smaller than the GP, dictates the allowed timing deviation. The physical reception window shifts within the GP as MT propagation delay changes.
The measured TD reflects the location of the physical reception window within the GP. The TA provides a corrective shift of the physical reception window within the GP. It is important to synchronize the TA adjustment in the MT and BS, since the BS reception window shifts as well. Conventionally, the BS controller continuously monitors the TD for each MT independently and generates TA commands in advance of the allowed physical reception window being exceeded.
The logic used to generate TA commands infrequently must also take into account the possibility that radio transmission failures can cause TA commands not to be received by the MT. This requires a fast and deterministic way to recognize when the MT has not performed the TA adjustment.
The TD and TA can additionally be used to determine the location of MTs. Since the propagation delay is equatable to the distance between an MT and a BS, the TDs from several BSs for a particular MT can be used to calculate by triangulation the MT location.
In order to produce accurate TA signals in connection with maintaining the reception window, minimizing signaling overhead and geolocation, it is important to know the TA for the time slot the TD was measured. Applicant has recognized that one method to accomplish this is only to allow the TA to take affect in the MT on specifically identified frames.
The need to coordinate TA adjustment in the MT and TD measurement in the BS to a specific sequential radio frame is difficult since the time of reception and processing in the MT of the BS generated TA command is not known to the BS controller. One conventional method is to only allow adjustments on periodic frame boundaries. Since the radio frames are sequentially numbered, periodic sequential frame numbers are conventionally used. However, the period needs to be excessively large to guarantee that the TA command can be processed in advance of the next periodic TD measurement.
To determine the TA frame number period necessary to coordinate the process, the worst case latency between BS controller generation of the TA command to MT processing must be used. This is the minimum period necessary to guarantee TA adjustment on the next TA frame number. For this case, the BS controller needs to initiate the procedure immediately following the previous TA frame number period. This effectively results in a TA adjustment delay of up to two TA sequential frame number periods.
As shown in FIG. 4, the worst case latency from BS generation to MT processing of the TA adjustment command is the time between TA frame numbers. The BS may determine a TA command needs to be generated some time (T1) after TA frame number 1 and a time (T2) before TA frame number 2. To guarantee coordination of the time the TA will take effect between the MT and BS, the BS must wait for the previous TA frame number period to expire to generate the request at time (T3). The result is when the TA requirement is recognized at time T1 the delay to coordinate the TA adjustment is greater than one frame number TA period, and at time T2 the delay is less the two frame number TA periods.(FN TA period)<(actual time to adjust TA)<(2(FN TA period))  Equation 5
Applicant has recognized that this methodology for TA coordination using specified frame number TA periods results in excessive TA delays that can be avoided. For example, excessive delays can arise due to the potential for failed radio transmissions. In this case it is necessary to recognize the failed transmission in the BS controller as quickly as possible so that a new TA adjustment command can be regenerated. Using the frame number TA period method, the BS Controller will wait for subsequent TD measurements following an expected TA adjustment to determine if a TA command needs to be regenerated. This case is shown in FIG. 5.
In this prior art example, the BS controller, after receiving a TD for correction at a time T0, must wait for a subsequent TD measurement at time T1 that indicates the TA adjustment did not take effect. The difficulty with this signaling method is that the BS controller does not know exactly which TD measurement identifies the TA adjustment failure. As a result, the BS controller in order to minimize TA commands must wait for the worst case TA adjustment delay before regenerating a TA command base on the received TD measurement.
Another prior art solution has the MT confirm each TA command as shown in FIG. 6. For this example, a timeout on the TA confirmation will result in retransmission of the TA command. The TA adjustment failure will be recognized faster then waiting for the TA frame number period to expire. However, this faster recovery requires approximately twice as much signaling since every command is confirmed. This is undesirable, since a primary objective is to reduce the TA command frequency.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a system and method that allows for fast and efficient radio frame timing adjustment without excessive command signaling requirements.